Goodbye Preschool...Hello Kindergarten!!!

That's right after three years of preschool, my little man is finally finished and moving on to Kindergarten next year!! It's bittersweet, but I truly pray that this will be a much needed change for him that will help him thrive! Here's a quick look back at his time in preschool!



First Day of School 2010.
My little man, at 3 years old on his very first day of preschool! Look how little he looks! This was such a scary day for Mommy...it was his first time EVER being away from Mommy!! On top of that, at this point in time he also had no communication at all so this mommy worried how he would handle it all. It was only after the reassurance from a friend who also had a child in this class, and whom was also very protective that I agreed to send him. Thankfully, he LOVED it and really thrived at this school. He was in an ABA based classroom specifically for children on the spectrum. To this day, he still loves and misses his teacher and the aides in this class, as does Mommy. This class made one of the biggest differences in his progress and I could not be happier that I made the decision to send him, despite those initial worries!

First Day of School 2011.  
He started school in the same class he'd been in the year before and again thrived there. Towards the end of the year we made the move from California to Indiana and things went downhill from there. He was placed in an inclusion classroom, much larger than the small class he was used to. Needless to say, it did not work out for him AT ALL...thankfully, he was only in this class for a little over a month before summer break!!

First Day of School 2012.
This year, Shaun was placed back in a special education only preschool class. While most children his age moved onto Kindergarten this year, Indiana has different cutoffs than most states and he was too young. Actually, because the cutoff was August 1 and his birthday August 4, we were told that we COULD move him onto Kindergarten, but he'd have been the youngest in his class...not good for a kid who is already behind socially! He also would have likely been placed in a life skills class because of the issues they'd had in the inclusion class the year before. So, despite his academic readiness, we opted for one final year of preschool for him. And let me just tell you, it was a ROUGH year for him. He just absolutely, positively HATED this school with a passion...to the point that this mommy seriously considered pulling him out early.

Last Day of Preschool 2013.
But we stuck with it, and we all survived! It took numerous calls to the principal's office, a suspension and tears all around...but we MADE it! He's officially out of there! Next year means a new school, new teacher and hopefully a fresh start!! He will still be in a special education only class, but will be held to the same academic standards as his typically developing peers. In fact, his teacher for next year has assured me that they will give him more advanced work to keep him challenged and from being bored since he has already surpassed many of the academic skills learned in kindergarten. We still have a long road ahead of us, I know but I am looking forward to this fresh start and pray that his new school will be a better fit and we will once again see him thrive...but for now, I am beyond thrilled to have my little man home with me for the summer to enjoy our last few months together as my one and only before baby sister arrives!!